Empowering Regions in Federal Elections Amendment (Debating)

[Jayhawker]

Empowering Regions in Federal Elections Amendment

Section 1: Senate Class Rescheduling.
1.Article 1, Section 1, Clause 1, requiring Senator term length of four months shall be waived for exactly one election for Senate Class A and exactly one election for Senate Class B taking place between January 1, 2012 and July 1, 2012.

2.Article 1, Section 4, Clause 2 shall be amended as follows:
Elections for the seats in Class A shall be held in the months of April, August and December; Elections for the seats in Class B shall be held in the months of April, August and December February, June and October.

3. Elections for the Class A Senate seats currently scheduled for the months of February, June and October shall be transitioned to April, August and December. The Class B Senate seats currently scheduled for the months of April, August and December, shall be transitioned to coincide with the Presidential Elections in February, June and October. This transitions shall be effectuated as follows:

The regularly scheduled elections for the Class A Senate seats in February shall elect Senators for a two month term. In the April immediately following this special election, a regular election shall be held for the Class A Senate seats resulting in a normal four month term.

The regularly scheduled elections for Class B Senate seats in April shall elect Senators for a two month term. In the June immediately following this special election, a regular election will be held for the Class B Senate seats resulting in a normal four month term.

Section 2: Regional Election Methods

1. A region's governing body shall have the authority to determine procedure for administration of voting and certification of election results for their own Class A Senate elections currently scheduled in the months of February, June, and October, and rescheduled as stated in Section 1. A region's governing body shall also have the authority to administer voting and certification of election results for Presidential elections consistent with federal election law in the months of February, June, and October.

2. A region's governing body may determine the means of election to Class A Senate election.

3. To ensure a fair process of election, any alternative system of voting chosen by the region's governing body for Class A Senate elections must be conducted in public, on-site, and may not disqualify any candidate meeting the qualifications set in the Constitution.

4. If a region fails to open a vote for their Senator and President within 12 hours of when polls must open, a Federal Officer of the Executive Branch shall open the vote on behalf of the region.

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This was passed last year and then rejected by the public on the grounds that it had several inconsistencies and errors. Too my knowledge those errors have been corrected and this was reintroduced. However, the bill as written is unworkable because the specified dates in Section 1 have lapsed; the bill sat far longer in the queue then I imagined it would. If we determine to go ahead with the mentioned transition, then they need to be changed. Before any of that is done, I want to know whether in the present circumstances, is such a transition desired or even advisable by any of the present Senators?

If not, Section 1 should be scraped, with the remainder amended accordingly, and subsquently considered.

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

HELLO?!!!!!!!!!!!1

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

If there is no feedback or discussion from the Senate body on this by tomorrow, I am going to have it tabled.

[Governor Scott]

What problem is this suppose to address, exactly?   I'm sort of neutral on this, as of now.

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The idea was too turn the Regional elections into a midterm sort of thing,while making the At-Large seats correspond with the Presidential election. Atleast that is what the first part does.


The second part frees up the Regions in terms of administration and allows them to determine electoral methods for the Regional Senate seats.

I am mixed on it myself.

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Intially the bill did far more and was condensed down to just this by an amendment that I offered. However, some things were overlooked and it died because of those. Hence why I reintroduced a corrected version (back in January, expecting it to be brought up much quicker then this).

[Senator Clarence]

Right now how do elections go- I have only run in special elections

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Right now the Regionals are on the ballot with the Presidential election (You only vote in election for the regional seat which you reside in) and the At-large are held as midterms, basically. All Senate elections are administered by the SoFE with uniform processes for all five regional Senate elections.

[Senator Clarence]

Got it- well I figure it matches real elections more to have the regional during the mid term... so I will support this as of now

[TJ in Wisco]

I am opposed to Section 1 of this amendment because I believe that holding only regional races at midterms would reduce interest in the game because most regional seat elections are frankly not that interesting. Holding them simultaneously with presidential elections while having the At-Large races as Midterms is, I believe a better idea to encourage activity.

I agree with our Senator Yankee that scrapping Section 1 would be a good idea though for somewhat different reasons.

As for Section 2, I can see the appeal of having regional races conducted by regions, but also believe that federal elections in Atlasia should be administered by the federal government since the sum of regional votes is simply added up. Therefore, I would like to offer the following amendment to the bill:

Empowering Regions in Federal Elections Amendment

1. A region's governing body shall have the authority to determine procedure for administration of voting and certification of election results for their own Class A Senate elections scheduled in the months of February, June, and October.

2. A region's governing body may determine the means of election to Class A Senate election.

3. To ensure a fair process of election, any alternative system of voting chosen by the region's governing body for Class A Senate elections must be conducted in public, on-site, and may not disqualify any candidate meeting the qualifications set in the Constitution.

4. If a region fails to open a vote for their Senator and President within 12 hours of when polls must open, a Federal Officer of the Executive Branch shall open the vote on behalf of the region.

[Senator Napoleon]

Who sponsored this?
With Marokai gone, I was hoping to see less of his bad ideas but whatevs.

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Who sponsored this?
With Marokai gone, I was hoping to see less of his bad ideas but whatevs.

There is a post in this thread that answers that question. There will also soon be another.

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I have decided to accept TJ's amendment as friendly. Senators have 24 hours to object.

[ilikeverin]

Hmm... I think I might propose bringing back district seats in lieu of regional seats, including text modeled on Article IV, Section 4 of the Second Constitution:

The Districts used for the purposes of electing Senators need not be contiguous. However, there can be no more than one State dividing the States in a District.
The Governors of the five Regions shall apportion the various States to the Districts by a two-thirds majority every four months according to the census of those registered voters who voted in the last scheduled federal election which shall be carried out as the Senate may specify with appropriate legislation.
The difference between the number of those registered voters who voted in the last scheduled federal election in any two Districts shall be no more than three more than the minimum possible difference.
Districts shall be numbered from one to five in any way that the Governors shall see fit.
For the purposes of this Section, the District of Columbia shall be treated as a State.
Should a State lack land borders with other States, then the Senate may establish reasonable contiguity borders for the purposes of this Section by appropriate legislation.

Should I propose this as a separate bill or amend this one?

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The best route would probably be as separate piece of legislation.


TJ's Amendment has passed.


Anything else here?

[Comrade Shmoo]

Hmm... I think I might propose bringing back district seats in lieu of regional seats, including text modeled on Article IV, Section 4 of the Second Constitution:

The Districts used for the purposes of electing Senators need not be contiguous. However, there can be no more than one State dividing the States in a District.
The Governors of the five Regions shall apportion the various States to the Districts by a two-thirds majority every four months according to the census of those registered voters who voted in the last scheduled federal election which shall be carried out as the Senate may specify with appropriate legislation.
The difference between the number of those registered voters who voted in the last scheduled federal election in any two Districts shall be no more than three more than the minimum possible difference.
Districts shall be numbered from one to five in any way that the Governors shall see fit.
For the purposes of this Section, the District of Columbia shall be treated as a State.
Should a State lack land borders with other States, then the Senate may establish reasonable contiguity borders for the purposes of this Section by appropriate legislation.

Should I propose this as a separate bill or amend this one?

District seats make my head hurt. The current system is fine for me, so why change it?

Also, Section 1 has been eliminated and At-Large elections are still mid-terms, correct?

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

With the elimination of Section 1, yes the At-Large are still during the midterms.


Now the question becomes, what has to be done to Section 2 to make it work in the absence of Section 1.

[Comrade Shmoo]

Doesn't it already work?

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Section 2: Regional Election Methods
1. A region's governing body shall have the authority to determine procedure for administration of voting and certification of election results for their own Class A Senate elections currently scheduled in the months of February, June, and October, and rescheduled as stated in Section 1. A region's governing body shall also have the authority to administer voting and certification of election results for Presidential elections consistent with federal election law in the months of February, June, and October.

2. A region's governing body may determine the means of election to Class A Senate election.

3. To ensure a fair process of election, any alternative system of voting chosen by the region's governing body for Class A Senate elections must be conducted in public, on-site, and may not disqualify any candidate meeting the qualifications set in the Constitution.

4. If a region fails to open a vote for their Senator and President within 12 hours of when polls must open, a Federal Officer of the Executive Branch shall open the vote on behalf of the region.

[Comrade Shmoo]

Ah, OK.

[TJ in Wisco]

I don't think it makes sense to have the regions running the presidential election when the votes are totalled across all regions (not the mention the IRV aspect). Thus, I would like to go even further and strike out the last sentence of 1):

Section 2: Regional Election Methods
1. A region's governing body shall have the authority to determine procedure for administration of voting and certification of election results for their own Class A Senate elections currently scheduled in the months of February, June, and October, and rescheduled as stated in Section 1. A region's governing body shall also have the authority to administer voting and certification of election results for Presidential elections consistent with federal election law in the months of February, June, and October.

2. A region's governing body may determine the means of election to Class A Senate election.

3. To ensure a fair process of election, any alternative system of voting chosen by the region's governing body for Class A Senate elections must be conducted in public, on-site, and may not disqualify any candidate meeting the qualifications set in the Constitution.

4. If a region fails to open a vote for their Senator and President within 12 hours of when polls must open, a Federal Officer of the Executive Branch shall open the vote on behalf of the region.

[ilikeverin]

Yes, that sounds fine to me.  That would just lead to a mess, I think.

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I never said I was finished TJ. I would have included "Amendment" in there somewhere if I was.


I had to go to class and couldn't finish it earlier. I have some other work to do before I can much Senate wise and the "Santorum DROPPED OUT OMG OMG OMG!!!" is delaying my dealing with that stuff.

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I am just to going to treat them both as separate amendments and give 24 hours to object to them.